Further information

This calculator is designed to help you work out where your
money is going, and whether your income covers your expenses.

Frequency: Nominate payment frequency
for each item - weekly, fortnightly, monthly, quarterly or
annually. (Note: your results will be distorted, if you do not
nominate the correct payment frequency).

Documentation required: For the most
accurate picture of your financial position, check your payslip for
any deductions already made apart from tax (eg superannuation,
health insurance, and company cars). Add these amounts back to your
income and include them in your expenses instead.

Save online budget: Save your budget
online to access your information from anywhere at a later
stage.
Your data saved to the MoneySmart database is safe and private
(refer to our Privacy
Policy).

Save the budget spreadsheet: Save your
budget to your computer by using the Spreadsheet
version. Your data will NOT be backed up to the MoneySmart
database, and you risk losing your information if you lose or
change your computer).
The Excel
version allows for some customising (ie relabeling
fields), and can be shared via email (eg with your partner).

Print: You can print your results for
future reference.

FAQs - frequently asked questions

Q: Can I create my own custom items?

A: Yes. In order to add your own items you will first need to go
to settings and choose "enable custom items". You will not be able
to change the label of the default items in the budget planner, but
you will be able to add your own sub items by clicking on the [add]
link.

You can also change the currency symbol under
settings.

Q: Was all my saved data retained in the new version of the
budget planner?

A: Yes but please note that 4 items were merged
(ie. the amounts of 2 items were merged into a single expense and
the frequency was defaulted to 'Annual'). These are listed
below.

Old items (category/item)

New item (category/item)

Financial commitments/Pocket money
Education/Other

Now merged into Children/Other

Home/Other
Utilities/Other

Now merged into Home & Utilities/Other

Shopping/Gifts and other
Entertainment/Celebrations

Now merged into Entertainment & eat-out/Celebrations &
gifts

Entertainment/Other
Eating out/Other

Now merged into Entertainment & eating out/Other

If you wish to separate these items you can create your own
custom items (see FAQ above).

Q: Where do I find a previously saved budget?

A: Click on 'Select saved budget' (top right of the budget
planner) and select a previously saved budget from the drop-down
list. If you are not already logged in you will need to login
first.

Q: If I open a saved budget and make changes, can I save it as
a separate version?

A: Yes. Open your budget and when you have made the required
changes (from the profile select box) choose "Save as". This will
allow you to create a new budget based off a previous version. e.g.
Open your 2014 budget, modify it and save as 2015 budget.

Q: Will my budget save automatically?

A: No, you will need to click on the 'Save' icon if you wish to
save your budget.

Q: Can I set a monthly budget and compare this with actual
income and expenses?

A: No, the budget planner is designed to give you an idea of
what you spend your money on. We suggest you update your budget
with actual income and expenses on a regular basis to keep it as
accurate as possible. If you are looking for something more
detailed you may like to invest in bookkeeping software.

Q: What does the Budget planner wizard do?

A: You can simplify your budget by only showing items that are
relevant to you.